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Talk:Tactical Surface Fighter/@comment-12494172-20150615235857/@comment-4391208-20150616040821
Lack of armor: I assume anti-laser coating is still in play here, but even so, this means that a love tap from a Grappler is going to shatter it into as many pieces as there are BETA around. This means that sending it into urban combat, or as a defensive unit, is a risk far more than a normal TSF. I don't know what's the threshold for "basic actions", but it seems like if a Tank latches on and takes a chunk, it'll not only disable an arm, but probably take half of it right off because of its smaller size (hence smaller parts and proportions in comparison to normal TSFs) and lack of protection (lack of impediment, no matter how minor against the melee-based BETA in the few seconds it would take for a normal TSF to pry the Tank off). High-powered engines: High acceleration rates, however most engines of that type typically have less-than-exemplary operating lifespans due to operational stresses compared to regular engines and render the machine as maneuverable as a brick during operation. Since it's not specified I'll assume the first has been worked around, but the second requires the mounting unit to be able to handle high-impact landing or be equipped with additional auxiliary thrusters, a side effect of which is increased unit weight without slamming into whatever is in front. Such engines typically guzzle fuel (already covered in the range part). Take note that TSF main engines in ML UL/A are able to operate in rocket motor mode or jet engine mode, with separate fuel reserves for each mode. Active Countermeasures: I assume you're taking about anti-BETA countermeasures here, so apart from anti-laser coating there would also be heavy metal chaff launchers (proven ineffective even with a payload used on a typical TSF, so if equipped it would either have to be a improved variant or carry a lot more than what a Zuikaku could carry). If the unit is supposed to retain parts commonality with a TSF, then you also have to consider whether it uses the same munition types in the chaff launchers or not. Advanced Targeting: That should help. Sensors: I assume said improvements include seismic sensors against BETA, which would probably be useful. Thermal, however, would likely be impossible if the unit was approaching from a frontward direction, and even then, the reduced range would mean that any F-22s coming in to shoot would bring it down in short order. Armament: Restriction to a single weapon renders straightjackets the unit into a small pool of roles. 120mm rounds give most TSFs a punch that allows them to attack heavy units like Forts and Heavy Lasers, and bring them down quickly; lacking those, it depends on what kind of rounds the Bofors is firing. Most Assault Cannons probably don't come close to 35 rounds per second, but against other targets that kind of firing speed brings concerns of ammunition wastage when 36mm armor-penetrating rounds can kill Tanks via over-penetration, and it depends on how much extra ammunition it can carry. Since there's no melee or other armaments (e.g. rockets) I won't say anything about that. __________ What you have (in capability) is a sweeper unit, meant for second-wave attack and area cleanup of remaining targets after the main attack. Light armor, lack of melee, poor capability adaptation and short range means that the unit cannot carry out sustained frontline reinforcement/laserjagd operations against a solid frontline where there are more enemies than there is ground; that applies to Hive infiltration as well. It is restricted to certain targets, lacks close-in combat options against the most numerous BETA strain, the Tank-class, and defensively, it can't tie up the enemy in close-combat, meaning that supporting forces like artillery and battle tanks are sitting on a razor's edge. In urban, limited maneuvering space means that the issue of losing its greatest asset is added into the aforementioned problems. Improved sensors is mitigated by its sensor range being outclassed by its contemporaries, and even if it has improved BETA sensing range, this is covered by seismic sensors laid much further out towards the front than where a force would usually be camped or housed in. Its smaller size (depending on how much smaller) would also render it more vulnerable to other BETA classes, and it is no less vulnerable against Lasers than any other TSF. The fact that it's more expensive than the F-22, and has zero stealth, zero melee capability and melee protection, and low sustainability, means that it is outclassed (in operational roles) by most, if not all TSFs. In all honesty it sounds more like an oversized and overspecced Feedback Protector for TSF support than an actual TSF, but that would exacerbate the cost issue to far beyond Type-00 levels.